Description

Sagrada is a game of “dice drafting and window crafting” from Floodgate Games where players compete to construct a stained glass window masterpiece while gaining extra prestige through the completion of public and secret objectives and even calling upon the church for favours from time to time in order to achieve their goal.

Played in a series of 10 rounds, this abstract family game by Adrian Adamescu and Daryl Andrews sees players drafting dice from a central pool and adding them to the window grid on their lavishly illustrated player boards. Players are given two window cards during set-up and can choose a window pattern from the four available sides – they all offer different dice placement options and vary in complexity.

Each round the first player will draw two dice per player, plus one additional die and roll them (so seven dice in a three-player game, for example). They will then choose a die to add to their window – the drafting continues in a clockwise direction until the last player has completed their turn – the last player will then take another turn as the drafting direction shifts to anti-clockwise, ending on the first player who will be left with a choice of two dice.

Placement rules are such that a new die must be placed adjacent (either orthogonally or diagonally) to previously placed dice and no numbers of the same value or same coloured dice are ever allowed to sit orthogonally adjacent to each other. This presents a nice little special puzzle that some often compare to the popular number-placement puzzle, Sudoku.

Three public objectives are drawn at the start of each game and can give players extra points when achieved. These can relate to filling rows or columns with colour varieties or counting up numbers of shades in their window. Each player also has a private objective that gives them points equivalent to the visible dice pips on a specific colour of dice in their window.

Favour tokens can be spent on using tools – three of which are revealed during set-up – and these tools can give players special abilities that can aid them in times of need. But watch out, once a player has used a tool it becomes more expensive for subsequent use.

Sagrada has proved to be a popular family game, and despite being recommended for ages 13+ on the box, it can easily be enjoyed by children of a younger age. It is pretty simple and quick to play while being very engaging and fun.

Player Count: 1-4Time: 30-45 MinutesAge: 13+

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BLOG

Sagrada takes its name from a place, the ‘Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família’, aka Gaudi’s vast, unfinished church in Barcelona. The game tasks you with creating stained glass windows through drafting dice and they’ve gone the extra mile to make this a tactile treat.

Your Window

You start the game be selecting a window card. There are 12, each double-sided, and on it is a pattern of colours, numbers and white spaces which will become crucial in your task. The game could have left you with just the window cards, but instead it comes with four wonderful cardboard frames that your card slides into, each notched to secure dice and give the window vibe a firm, 100 per cent upgrade. Then each player takes a private objective card (these are all ‘add the pips on dice of a particular colour’), and public objective cards are laid out (e.g. columns with no repeat colours.)

Columns, colours? Here’s how you play. There are 10 rounds, and at the start of each one dice are drawn from a bag: two dice per player, plus one more. There are 90 dice, each D6 but of five different colours, and when they’ve been randomly drawn from the bag players take it in turns to select one and add it to a slot on their window card.

The twist is that you have to put dice next to another one diagonally or orthogonality (unless it’s the first die of the turn, then it’s against the edges), but you can’t put the same colour directly next to each other, you can’t put the same number on the dice directly next to each other, and the dice have to fit in with the colours and numbers shown on your window card. So you take it in turns to pick and play dice (moving clockwise first, until the last player takes two dice and you work back anti clockwise until you’ve taken one each), discard the remainder, and continue for 10 turns, aiming to fill your window.

Dice, Beautiful Dice

Two brilliant things are happening here. Firstly, you are constantly battling to achieve your objectives, working with what you’ve got (and yes, it is luck based), by fitting different colours and numbers alongside each other. A stain glass window has you building a pattern, and this does too, albeit to a far more arcane requirement.

What else is happening? The dice! They are clear, coloured and look wonderful, almost glowing as you place them. The fact they’re slightly transparent and being built up in a large cardboard window really gives the game an odd beauty as you put it all together. Add this to the fact all the game components carry the theme through, and you have a wonderful aesthetic and a tactile treat.

There are other rules. Before each game a number of tool cards are drawn, and these can be tactically played to swap dice, re-roll dice and other benefits that can really help at the close of a game. Scoring is done by totting up all the objectives and reducing scores for blank spaces in your window. That said, while the game looks and feels wonderful and light, the Sagrada theme does feel a bit pasted on to the gameplay: there’s the nagging doubt in your mind that stained glass windows get cut and shaped not built out of leftovers. Yes the dice look like clear glass, but you don’t feel you’re building a window, rather than fighting to create a filled colourful puzzle card.

The game’s looks and design give you a feel of rich atmosphere, but not of a finished window. It’s a subtle distinction, but worth mentioning.

Sagrada Conclusions

This is a swift game to teach, and in general terms a quick game to play. It’s a feast for the eyes and a puzzle for the mind, but luck does play a major part. Even with the tools, it’s possible for the dice you need to simply not appear in the last few turns, before players even get a chance to block you. It’s a puzzle, but not a balanced one every time, and that’s going to annoy people.

I’m sure someone good at probability can show this isn’t true, but Sagrada feels more prone to luck than the game it’s frequently compared to, Azul. Both share a richly tactile and visual nature, both came out around the same time, both can fit into your collection, although I suspect only one will call to you. For me, Sagrada has the visual and thematic edge, Azul the gameplay.

Staff were very helpful and the order was swift and very well packed. I live in Ireland and I was able to track the delivery through every step. I will use them again and I have recommended to a friend already

Staff were very helpful and the order was swift and very well packed. I live in Ireland and I was able to track the delivery through every step. I will use them again and I have recommended to a friend already

2 hours ago

Anonymous

★★★★

Prompt delivery, clear indication of stock levels on website -- but dynamic pricing makes it difficult to trust this merchant completely. Also really stingy not to offer free postage when spending so much on a game!

Prompt delivery, clear indication of stock levels on website -- but dynamic pricing makes it difficult to trust this merchant completely. Also really stingy not to offer free postage when spending so much on a game!

11 hours ago

Isabelle

★★★★★

very quick service and a great price for board games. One of the best online gaming shops around

very quick service and a great price for board games. One of the best online gaming shops around

15 hours ago

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Zatu seem to consistently have the cheapest games and after having bought a few games from them, also seem to have brilliant customer support, packing/shipping, website etc. Just generally great across the board from what I've experienced so far.

15 hours ago

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Zatu are my go-to supplier for board games. Good range, good prices, always delivered quickly and well packaged.

18 hours ago

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★★★★★

Delivery was prompt. The item arrived damaged but the returns procedure was simple and soon a had a replacement item delivered.

Delivery was prompt. The item arrived damaged but the returns procedure was simple and soon a had a replacement item delivered.

18 hours ago

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Superb prices. Really fast delivery. Recommend very highly

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Fast service, and absolutely competetive prices. Even with the postage it's still a bargain compared to buying the games here in denmark.

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A great way to buy international boardgame. I received quickly my game in France. When I opened my game box, there was missing a bag of pieces, and they helped me to received quickly from the editor the missing pieces. It was really easy and helpful from them.
I'm really happy about them !